vacation end

And then the rain set in.  We hadn't gotten much weather during monsoon season, and Utah is always in at least some kind of a drought, so it felt ungrateful to complain.  But maybe not rain during vacation!  It felt like being back in Maine again - it always rained during our vacations there - except for, you know, desert.

At the start

On Friday, A and M did a damp, 3.3 mile town walk.  Then H and A rode their MTBs down to the start of the Moab 240 to watch the crazy runners head off.  The Moab 240 is an ultra trail marathon that is 240 miles long (give or take).  Last year, it was hotter than normal conditions for the runners; this year, they had rain and snow and overflowing creeks and so much mud.  It is such a cool event and both H and I wish we had it in us to do such a thing.  It isn't so much the distance that's intimidating - I would LOVE to hike the course, over a period of (many) days - it's the sleep deprivation.  

At the bar

After the runners headed off, we rode down to Proper Brewing (it was on the way home) for one beer, then stopped at Woody's for one beer, before returning home.  It's important to support local businesses.

At Sandflats

Saturday found us three doing a quick Practice Loop (2.3 miles) hike up at Sandflats in the morning.  We figured it would be the least wet and muddy trail we could do; indeed, all the potholes were full of rainwater.  It dried up enough in the afternoon for another visit to the Spitfire for dog-friendly patio beers.  But Saturday night we got a massive thunderstorm - the lightning was incredible.  Milton was not pleased.

At another bar

On Sunday, after A and M did another townwalk (3.2 miles), the humans headed out on their bikes for the last road ride of vacation (20.2 miles).  It was much cooler after the storm but the rain had wrecked some havoc along the trail: lots of downed branches and sand/mud washed across the bike path.  Our ride ended up being shorter than we intended, actually, because the bike path along the river was flooded and impassable.

At the end of the line

And that was it.  We cleaned the house and did yard work Monday morning before packing up and heading back to SLC.  This fall vacation was perhaps a little less active than past year's due to the adverse weather.   But we did get out and do at least one thing outdoors each day, and had double sessions several times.  Plus all that weather meant A read ten library books!

milton's seventh adoptiversary!

 We interrupt the vacation recap posts for a very important announcement: on this day seven years ago, we adopted Milton!  Seven years on, we are all quite a bit grayer, but Milt is still sweet and polite and needy.  He's a weirdo, for sure: scared of the fridge; favorite people foods are roasted butternut squash and peanut butter pretzels; doesn't like to snuggle but loves a bellyrub or a butt rub; hates having his picture taken (unless it's by his girlfriend KW); has convinced two of our dogless neighbors to keep dog jerky treats in their garages for him; loves to meet people and dogs on our walks.  Because of him, we are better friends with our closest neighbor (who tells his children and grandchildren, "Milt is my dog, he just lives next door") and we know way more people in our neighborhood than we would otherwise - one of them has dubbed him "the Mayor."  I know everyone says this about their dogs but Milton really is the best dog ever.

How it started

Cool guy

Our happy place (PC: KW)

Ears (PC: KW)

How it's going (PC: KW)

vacation middle (2)

We mostly have good weather in Moab, it being a desert and all.  But Wednesday was really the last good weather day of our vacation week.  And I think we did a pretty good job of taking advantage of it.

Gap as we made our way down

While H did a five mile trail run and an 24.3 mile road ride, A and M hiked down Grandstaff Canyon, from the Sandflats antenna to the Colorado River.  We've done this several times before, most recently just in July (the Squirrel Episode).  We may not do it again for a while.  In July, it wasn't too overgrown but this last time, the going was tough once we got down to the creek.  Numerous times we just couldn't press through - forcing our way through Russian thistle over the dog's head left me badly scratched - and we scrambled up high, along one of the benches for much more of the upper hike than we have in the past.  Milton is such a good hiker, really agile and good at finding the trail, but the prickly parts weren't fun for him either.

Art al fresco

We made it out and H picked us up, having packed lunch and beers for some post-hike picnicing at our spot above the bike path/river.  That afternoon, after getting cleaned up, we walked to the in-town ball fields to meet our friends C and F and watch their four year old son play soccer.  That kid is far better than anyone else on his team and scored like eight times in a fifteen minute game.  After that, we strolled back to their house for a yard beer, and when it was time for their son's dinner, bid them farewell and strolled over to Woody's for a bar beer.

From whence we came

Thursday brought some rain.  We tried to time it for activities and did pretty well, all things considered.  A and M did a 2.2 mile town walk while H did a 4 mile trail run.  After a late morning grocery run (A had to shelter under a tree for a few minutes on the walk back), the weather cleared up.  H and A got their bike ride in and, more than that, rode all the way up "the hill" on the bike path (28.4 miles, 2:19 time because I'm slow), going up past the entrance to Arches National Park, all the way to the first kiosk at the Moab Brand MTB trails.  Having gotten my bike in for service pre-vacation certainly helped with the shifting and braking - I still much, much prefer riding up hills than down them.

Appreciate that sky

vacation middle (1)

 Monday was another beautiful, clear, temperate day, and we three did a family hike at Amasa Back.  I love this hike: going up Hymasa to the Colorado River overlook, then returning via the jeep road.  It's an acceptable length (just under six miles), never too steep, with some of my favorite scenery in Moab and the potential for entertainment (watching off-road vehicles navigating the obstacles).  Plus the trailhead parking lot is ideal for post-hike beers, with all types of outsdoory-types (MTBers, hikers, trailrunners, off-roader, vanlifers, etc.) to talk to.

Heading down from the overlook

Later that day, H did a solo 24 mile road ride on the bike path; then we took Milton to the vet to get a bump on his leg looked at (lipoma); then we three went to Spitfire to bask in the sun whilst drinking beers on their dog-friendly patio.  We'd all earned it.  And we even had a backyard firepit that night, once the stars came out, after dinner at home.

Yay hiking!

Tuesday we felt quite virtuous, actually.  A and M did a 4.2 mile town walk, sticking to their every-other-day-off-leash routine, while H did a four mile trail run.  Then we humans did a 25 mile road ride - a little further up the bike path than A usually does.  For lunch, we packed a cooler and went to "our" picnic spot above the bike path/Colorado River.  And then the afternoon and evening were spent at home, working through our library books and catching up with our neighbor.

Yay beers!

vacation beginning

 Since we got our little Moab place, we really don't go anywhere but there anymore.  It's got all we need for vacation: easy access to the outdoors for hiking and biking; easy access to town for walking to beers, food, shopping and friends; world-class landscapes; great high desert environment; dog-friendly.  Every now and again when I hear of a trip friends took, I get a momentary pang and think, "Ooh, that sounds nice."  And then I remember that we can go to Moab whenever we want and I appreciate our privilege.

So for our fall vacation - we do a week's vacation in the spring, after ski season ends, and then again in the fall, before ski season starts - we went to Moab.  We drove down Friday late afternoon, noting the increase in traffic on I-15, both for the weekend and for the temperate season.  It took us a wee dite longer than it does when we go down Thursday afternoons, so we stayed in and cracked beers at home rather than venturing out.

Moody skies Saturday morning

On Saturday, we hit the Pipe Dream trail: A and the dog doing a six mile hike and H doing an eight mile trail run.  Later in the day, H ventured out for a quick 16.5 mile road ride.  We got lucky with the weather, at least in the first half of the week, as it was mostly clear and lovely, with highs not getting out of the 70s.  That evening we met up with our friends C and F who had scored a babysittter: we swung by a block party hosted by a local realtor, then moved on over to Dewey's for beers and noshes.  And then that night, we were delighted to discover that our neighbor A had returned home from her summer commercial fishing in Alaska.  (Milton was pretty excited to see her dog Moscow.)

Brand new bar tape on the ol' Cannondale

Sunday was another beautiful day.  A and M did a 3.3 mile town walk (trying to alternate off-leash and on-leash days for Milton so he doesn't exhaust himself).  Then H and A did a 24.2 mile road ride on the Moab bike path.  For a change, it wasn't windy!

So rad

The afternoon saw us three having a picnic up at the Slickrock trailhead parking lot - where H and M did some long-boarding - then a quick stop by Woody's for the humans and a backyard firepit after dinner at home.

hiatus

Unintentional hiatus here due to vacation and post-vacation laundry.  New posts resuming shortly - promise! 

csa summer: fourteenth and fifteenth boxes

 The end of the farm boxes for 2025.  We were going to be out of town for box #15 so instead I requested a box of apples to be picked up with box #14.  The apples were huge!  Like, grapefruit-sized apples.  Last year, when we got a box of apples, I was able to peel/core them using my peeler/corer and then cook them all down into apple pie filling.  This year, at least half the apples were WAY too big for that peeler/corer.

So I did the apple pie filling with the smaller ones; and for the big ones, I made orange-cinnamon apple butter in the slow cooker and also unsweetened applesauce on the stovetop.  Jeesh.  Apple stress.  At least they keep a good long while when airtight in plastic bags in the fridge.  (Huge thanks to Freeze Fresh for the storage and recipes - that book is invaluable during CSA season.)

Seriously look at those apples

For the regular produce box, we got a couple of peaches (past their prime) and plums, tomatoes, green beans, onions, pears, green peppers, potatoes and a couple of squashes (acorn and a giant spaghetti).  The tomatoes were chopped for cream cheese bagel toppings; the potatoes roasted; the peppers and onions sauteed for vegan grilled sausage toppings; and the squashes will, of course, be roasted and mashed for that weirdo Milton.

remote

 Sometimes we go to Moab and H has to work.  That's what happened the last weekend we went down.  We'd planned to go Thursday, taking Friday off, but deadlines didn't allow it and we drove down Friday afternoon instead.  (When H let the people he was dealing with know that he would be unavailable for four hours that afternoon/evening, they were all, are you kidding?  Like it is inconceivable to city folks that there are place where you can't be online - like whilst driving through Price Canyon and the desert, for example).  

Hot dog

So H was pretty much tied to his computer all weekend.  He was able to get out for a trail run Saturday and Sunday, and I dragged him off for a Woody's beer Saturday late afternoon, but other than that, he didn't get to have much fun.  

Milton and I managed to enjoy ourselves a bit more.  Saturday we went out for a Pipe Dream/Pipeline trail loop.  We didn't leave until 8:30 a.m., however, and it ended up being a little too warm for M with the strong sunshine (6 miles).  On Sunday, we went to Millcreek a bit earlier.  There were lots of nice dogs to meet and Milton got snacks from three different people.  He also played chase with another dog towards the end of the hike and very much overdid it.  We just hung out at home for the rest of the day, reading, and it was very pleasant in the shade.  

Rabbitbrush (?)

Since we hadn't gotten to take Friday off, we took Monday instead.  Sort of.  While H worked, Milton and I did a three+ mile town walk to give him some space.  And as soon as we got back to SLC Monday afternoon, H got back on the phone/computer.  Oh well.  Sometimes it happens, and it hasn't happened much recently, so we're grateful for that.

taking the low road

 The next time I got up to Alta for my "exercise loop," I did exactly what I did when I went to Cecret Lake.  Except I took the low road and didn't go to Cecret Lake, which was preferable all the way around.  As before, I parked above Albion Base and walked up the Summer Road until I could access Albion Meadows.  From there, I went up through the Sunnyside beginner area to the Catherine's Pass trailhead, then continued up to Catherine's Pass.  The morning was lovely and cool and there seemed to be slightly fewer people on the trail than the time before.

Heading towards the Apron

From the pass, I continued up to the trail junction for Sunset Peak and turned right to go to the top of Supreme.  In the week that had passed, they had gotten all the new lift towers installed, so that's progress, I guess.   I continued down the cat track/access road and again turned off on the trail that headed in towards Devil's Castle.  When I got in under the Apron, I got scolded by, and then was lucky enough to see, two busy pikas, scurrying about gathering grasses and other vegetation for the winter.  

Devil's Castle view

After I crossed that section, I kept to the right for the low road, where I'd seen some MTBers the last time.  This section of trail is pretty and shady and I had it all to myself.  Even though it looks so different this time of year, not covered in twenty-plus feet of snow, I eventually recognized where I was from having skied in there with H in years prior.  The trail brought me out well below the climb to Cecret Lake and although I did start to encounter people at this point, it wasn't nearly as many as the time before.

The low road

Now, having done both the high road and the low road (eight miles total hike), I can confidently say that in this case, I prefer the low road (contrary to Alta's unofficial motto - for traversing and etc. - to "get high and stay high).  

sixteen years

Happy moveiversary to us: we moved to Utah SIXTEEN YEARS AGO!!!  On every moveiversary, I like to do a year-end summary post; like last year and the year before, this year has also seemed a little diminished.  H again preferred to focus on his trail running, so we hardly did any hiking together.  I didn't get a ski pass this year and, to be honest, didn't miss it all that much.  We are very lucky people, we know this.  And despite getting older and set in our ways, we are lucky to be able to continue to be as active as we are.  Here's what this past year - we count our "years" from October through September, given when we arrived in Utah - looked like.

October - We always start our "year" with a vacation week (ten days, really) in Moab, with hiking and MTBing and H's really successful trail marathon, plus a coyote sighting on Pipe Dream, hanging with our neighbor and cheering on the Moab 240; bought a new washing machine.

November - First snowflakes in Moab and SLC; A doesn't get a ski pass but H does get to sublet the ski locker again; new bar (to us): The Midway; A starts baking in earnest; Thanksgiving in Moab; Alta opens with a 21" base.

December - Friendsgiving with E and K; the ski bus starts; skiing for H (cold and not much snow); A's college friend and her family are in town; Christmas in Moab (porcupine tracks in Mill Canyon).

January - H takes the week between Christmas and New Year's off to ski (crazy long lines); A makes a vegan Wellington for NYE dinner; snow; coyote sighting in Dimple Dell; H has a 3.5+ hour ski bus ride home one stormy ski day; MLK Jr. long weekend in Moab (hiking and it's cold).Fe

February - Skiing and long lift lines; A gets a new library card; M enjoys going to work with H; President's Day weekend in Moab (6.5 hours and hellish driving to get there); Alta finally gets some snow; skiing.

March - A goes to Maine for a week and H and M go to Moab, missing her terribly; we do our first Sandy garage tailgate (and get chilled); turning to spring in Moab; storms at Alta; skiing.

April - Days of unhealthy air in SLC; successful foccacia baking (!); spring skiing; Easter Jeep Safari in Moab; trees in bloom in SLC; wildflowers beginning in Moab; Utah Royals game; Alta closing weekend and 534 season inches at closing.

May - Traditional spring break week in Moab (flowers, hiking, cycling, seeing N and L when they're in town for a wedding, Moonflower Co-op and renew Sand Flats annual pass); backcountry/snowshoing day at Alta; Memorial Day weekend in Moab (cookout with C and F); Dimple Dell walks for A and H; H trail-runs and cycles.

June - Yardwork begins (overdue); Pride party at E and K's; Dimple Dell walks; starting to get hot; we make our hike list hahahaha; Juneteenth in Moab (M catches a ground squirrel); H trail-runs/cycles.

July - A hikes at Alta and Snowbird; CSA starts; July 4 holiday in Moab (hiking - including return to Gold Knob - and cycling, cooler than normal); H trail-runs/cycles; Pioneer Day holiday weekend in Moab (wildfires, bowling alley beers, cookout with C and F).

August - A goes to Maine for a week and H and M go to Moab, missing her terribly; Dimple Dell walks with M; A and H get summer colds; wildflowers in the Wasatch; A hikes at Alta (including ridge run); H trail-runs/cycles.

September - Labor Day weekend in Moab (hiking, cycling, yard work); A finds new trails to hike at Alta; backyard hangout with E and K; more time in Moab; Dimple Dell walks with M; A bakes strawberry jam bars; H trail-runs/cycles.

And now, October 3rd, happy new year!

csa summer: twelfth and thirteenth boxes

 As we near the end of our run of farm boxes, we are definitely transitioning to late summer/fall produce.  The twelfth box had a spaghetti squash, two ears of corn, cucumbers, a red cabbage, apples, nectarines, a peach, some pears, some plums, an ivory pepper and a couple of wax peppers (which were way spicier than I expected).

Probably the last of the corn for the year

I gave away the cucumbers at work.  We ate the corn immediately (decent for the season) and the stone fruit.  The pears went into morning green smoothies.  We sauteed some of the peppers with onions for vegan sausages, and the rest of the peppers went on homemade pizzas.

That's autumnal

Box #13 had a butternut squash, a white acorn squash, onions, plums, a past-its-prime peach, lots of apples, a tomato, jalapeno peppers, a green pepper, some red potatoes and a couple of pears.  The squashes - along with the prior week's spaghetti squash - got roasted and mashed and frozen (8.5 cups!) for Milton, who looooooooves roasted winter squash.  Green pepper, onion, jalapeno peppers and some red cabbage went in a tikka masala curry; and that same combination of vegetables also went into burrito bowls (with kidney beans and fake ground beef) later in the week.  That red cabbage was DELICIOUS, by the way: sweet and not at all cabbage-y.  The tomato and fruit got snacked on.  And all the apples were cooked down into 2.5 quarts of apple pie filling for the freezer.

Never have I liked a cabbage so much

milton appreciation post

Technically, this is an appreciation post for the amazing photographs our friend K took of Milton when we three went to E and K's house a couple of Saturdays ago.  We were all somehow available last minute (that is unusual for them, quite a bit less so for us) so we hung out in their lovely backyard for several hours, drinking beer, eating cherry tomatoes straight out of their garden, catching up and watching the dogs - E and K have four: three elderly mini-daschshunds and a terrier mix M's age - sniffing around the yard.  Milton hates having his picture taken ... except when it's K doing it.  I thought I'd share some of the photos because they're just so good.

His eyebrows are getting gray

I love this one

Strike a pose

Bonus: H and Oliver

 

csa summer: eleventh box

 Holy moly only four more boxes!  That went quickly.  I do sort of feel like some of the boxes have not been as strong as prior years but I also have heard that it was a tough year for Utah farmers, with everything coming in all at once.  Plus, it is still a good deal: the boxes of berries alone make it worthwhile.

Speaking of boxes of berries, we got more this week!  We got two cartons of raspberries (different varieties), a pasilla pepper, some wax peppers, a purple pepper, tomatoes, a delicata squash, some pears, some nectarines (really good), some huge peaches (less good), a cucumber, two ears of corn and a canary melon.

This box was so heavy

The corn on the cob (better than last week) and the melon (a bit over-ripe, unfortunately) were eaten right away.  The raspberries, being delicate, went in our oatmeal and were delicious.  A bunch of peppers went into a gnocchi sheet pan bake.  The peaches got chunked up and made into a ginger-peach jam (which I may have scorched just a bit, sigh).  The delicata squash, well, that was roasted whole and then mashed up for Milton.  The boy loves his squash.

alta with a side of cecret lake

After a nice Salt Lake Valley Saturday (trail run and road ride for H, Dimple Dell walk for A and M, evening backyard beers for H, A and M with friends in Sugarhouse), it was time for a little hike.  I have my usual "exercise loop" at Alta: park above Albion Base, walk up the Summer Road, go up the Albion Meadows trail through the ... Albion meadows to the Catherine's Pass trailhead parking, up to Catherine's Pass and across the top to Supreme, down Supreme via the access road to the campground, back to car through the meadows.

Looks like fall

It's a good loop and I like it, decent mileage (over seven), usually not too many people other than up at Catherine's Pass.  But for years I've seen but never tried a side trail that leaves the access road just before the road gets to all the residential cabins.  This time I tried it.

Heading towards Devil's Castle

After turning onto the trail, I found myself below the [winter] gates at the bottom of the Rock N Roll ski trail.  It was really pretty with all the jumble of rocks and earlier in the summer, when the flowers are full throttle, it must be spectacular.

Looking up towards the Apron

There were old mine tailings below the Apron and I could hear pikas chirping at me.  Just beyond that, the trail forked.  I took the high line, which ended up just above and to looker's left of Cecret Lake; I did notice some MTBers on the lower trail and I will try that next time.

Looking into the valley from below the Apron

I can't even tell you how long it's been since I was at Cecret Lake other than during ski season (possibly since 2016).  For good reason too, because there were lots of people hiking in, out and around that little lake - certainly more than I wanted to deal with.  I cannot imagine what hordes there must be when the wildflowers are good.

Looking back at Devil's Castle

I didn't spend any time at the lake but instead got down from there as fast as I could.  On my way out, along the Homerun Trail (Sunnyside area, below Alf's), I paused to watch a big hawk snatch something small and delicious out of the meadown, then continued on my way.

Cecret Lake with no people in the shot amazingly

Hike stats: 8.5 miles, 3 hours 11 minutes.  Next time we take the low road.

second half

 Those lovely cool temperatures didn't stick around through the whole weekend, unfortunately, and it steadily got warmer as time went on - although it never got out of the low 90s, so we were grateful for that.  Cooler weather is on its way and I'm sure we'll be bitching about how dang cold it is in January.  But for now, I feel like I can't even remember what being cold feels like.

Mile 6: Pipe Dream and Hidden Valley done

After H's big Saturday, it was time for A's big Sunday: another Pipe Dream/Hidden Valley/Moab Rim trek.  It was still pretty quiet out there.  There were three cars in the Hidden Valley trailhead parking lot and only a couple of people on the trails with me.  

Mile 8

I went just a smidgen longer than last time, opting to stay on the rock/Moab Rim trail proper, rather than going down Sand Hill to the wash.  I didn't want to have to dump sand out of my shoes after Sand Hill.  And funnily enough, it turned out to only be two-tenths of a mile longer, although it sure seemed like more than that.  Hike stats: 10.3 miles, 3:48:56.

Mile 10

While A was tromping around in the desert, H did a "recovery" road ride of 24+ miles.  He and Milton came to pick A up at the Moab Rim trailhead parking lot (with beers) and we stayed there a little while, watching some jeeps and other rigs make their way up the gnarly trail.

Needing a bit of a trim

After a nap for A that afternoon, we humans walked to our friends C and F's house for yard beers.  Which turned out to be kitchen beers because we all thought the A/C felt nice, despite the lovely shade in their backyard.

Skulls and sunflowers

And then it was Monday.  We did a bunch of chores around the house: weeding, trimming back trees, re-caulking some door frames.  Then we got back on the road bikes for the now traditional H 24/A 21 mile ride on the bike path.  Drinks at Woody's seemed to be in order for late afternoon, and then it was early to bed.  We're not stupid enough to drive back north through Spanish Fork Canyon on the evening of the last day of a long weekend; we did that once, getting stuck in traffic for over an hour, and now we wait and get up wicked early Tuesday morning for the drive back to SLC.

first half

 As is our wont, we skeddadled out of SLC and went to Moab for the long Labor Day holiday weekend, rolling into an unexpectedly quiet Main Street a little after 7 p.m.  Later, when we asked some friends in hospitality if things were slow, they said no, hotels were pretty well booked; I dunno, it sure seemed quiet.  And that's okay.

Oh

We got really lucky with the weather for the first two days especially.  A cold front rolled in and it was in the 70s (!!!!!!!) on Friday.  Delightful!  While H did a three mile trail run that morning, A and M did a 3.5 mile hike on Pipe Dream.  It was quiet out there too: we saw one dude on a MTB with his dog.  Late morning, A and H got on their road bikes for a ride on the bike path.  A did 21 miles (it had been about a month since I'd been on the bike and I could feel that fact in my sit bones) while H stretched a little further to make it 24.

Lawd

On Saturday, H had planned to do a long run and strung together 13.1 on Pipe Dream, up to Hidden Valley, through Hidden Valley and over the pass a little ways towards the Moab Rim trail.  He ended up with just barely under 2,000 feet of elevation gain too, and finished in 2:46:47, so it was not an insignificant run.  

He

While he was doing all that, Milton and A went to Millcreek.  We went a little longer than we usually do (5.7 miles) and found ourselves a preying mantis.

Comin'

Amazingly, H had not done quite enough by late Saturday morning.  We decided to take advantage of the still fairly cool temperatures (slightly warmer than Friday but it still did not get out of the 80s) and did a road ride.  This time he "just" did 21 miles.  That's plenty of miles for one day.

Mantis

Except that we did walk to Woody's and back for cocktails and that's another 1.75 miles roundtrip.  Not that we're weirdos who count everything.